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A student working on a buggy with a member of 127 Field Company (Volunteers). The Army is working with schools and businesses to teach new skills Crown Copyright

Sue Corbett

Last updated at 12:01AM, April 27 2013

A community project is using the Armed Forces to teach engineering skills

A growing group of soldiers has begun teaching young people basic engineering skills as part of a community project to tackle unemployment.

The initiative began in 2010 when a team from 127 Field Company (Volunteers) REME in Manchester ran a series of Tactical Engineering Development courses (better known as TEDs) for teenagers in nearby Burnley and Blackburn not otherwise in employment, education or training.

The courses are a new role for the Army and, in essence, teach young people how to build off-road buggies from flatpacks. They form part of a Prince’s Charities initiative to support regeneration work, first in